Crispy Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Sauce

I found a crispy, spicy and delicious Fish Taco recipe from food blogger Pinch of Yum. 🙂 I already have fish taco recipes on my food blog but I”m always in search of another take on these recipes and this one turned out to be amazing. It was definitely the use of Cornmeal- it gives it that nice crunchiness you find in a chip. The Chili Powder is the perfect spice – I used Indian Chili Powder which packs more heat than your average chili powders in the stores. For the Jalapeno Avocado Sauce recipe- I used 2 Tablespoon of Greek Yogurt instead of the 1/4 cup- I wanted a more thin sauce base and it packed heat with the jalapeno’s I put whole in the blender. The Cotija Cheese was a perfect addition- this salty cheese with the beer battered fish was perfect. I used Corona Beer in my batter. Since I knew I was making a fried fish dish I decided to cut my calories by using tortillas I got from Trader Joe’s that only have 9 grams of carbs in them which was actually tasty. So even when I”m making something that is fried at home I find ways to cut down on the calorie content somewhere else in my dish and this way eating unhealthy at home is still better than eating it all bad in a restaurant.

INGREDIENTS

Jalapeño Sauce

1 large jalapeño (if you like spicy, leave the ribs and seeds in there)

1 cup cilantro leaves

¼ cup green onions

¼ cup oil

¼ cup Greek yogurt

¼ cup water

½ avocado

½ teaspoon salt

Fish Tacos

2 lbs. firm white fish like cod

1 cup flour (see notes)

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cornmeal

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon chili powder or spicy seasoning

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup light beer, such as Corona

1 egg, beaten

vegetable oil for frying

12 flour or corn tortillas

cilantro for topping

Cotija cheese for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Puree all the jalapeño sauce ingredients in a food processor until your desired consistency is reached. I sometimes add a little more oil or water at the end to make the sauce less gloppy and more drizzle-able.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Put ½ cup flour in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk ½ cup flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, chili powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the beer and the beaten egg; stir until combined to form the batter.

Pour enough oil in a frying pan so that the fish will be partially submerged while frying. Heat the oil until a drip of water sizzles across the top. Dip each piece of fish in the plain flour, then the batter, then transfer to the hot oil. Fry on each side for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the frying pan and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with salt while still hot; let cool slightly.

Arrange your tacos with a few pieces of fish, cilantro, Cotija cheese, and jalapeño sauce. Yummy!